


Which Womb?

by dancefantasy



Series: Claire/Jill AU [2]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Desperation, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Gay people problems, Long-Term Relationship(s), Love, Marriage Proposal, Pregnancy Talk, Sort Of, don't force your friends into conversations they aren't prepared to have, lighthearted argument
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:07:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28819719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancefantasy/pseuds/dancefantasy
Summary: Claire thinks she and Jill should have a child. But Jill has some important questions they need to address first.
Relationships: Claire Redfield/Jill Valentine
Series: Claire/Jill AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150979
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17





	Which Womb?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry this exists.

September 2015. A rare period of time where Claire Redfield and Jill Valentine are able to spend some quiet time at home together, with neither traveling for work or fighting for their life. They have managed to stay in a relationship for the past 17 years despite all odds -- or perhaps because of those odds. They sit together on a bright afternoon, and lighthearted conversation takes an interesting turn...

"Considering everything that has gone wrong and can go worse in the world, this is probably not the best idea. But... what if we had kids?"

"Kids?" Jill was so caught off guard that she wasn't sure she heard Claire correctly.

"Yeah, kids!" Claire confirmed, leaning forward as she got deep in thought. "Wouldn't it be so great to have a little version of us to raise? It would be the most kick-ass but adorable baby. Every time I see someone with a child, I think, 'That's great. But mine would be so much better.'"

"Sounds like you have baby fever," Jill warily laughed. "I should have known you were the type to eventually fall prey to babies' charms."

"Hey, it's not like I just want a baby like a pet!" Claire protested. "There just comes a point in every adult's life where they have to think about whether they want kids or not. And it's obviously natural for many people to say they do, considering history." As she continued to her next point, she lifted a finger for emphasis. "Y'know, Chris keeps mentioning how we're not getting any younger and we need to think about these things before it gets too late," she told Jill, seeming to imply she should think the same.

"Chris probably just wants a kid around but is too scared to have his own. We're not that old, Claire; we don't need to rush."

"Yeah, not old, but you're forty-one! That's definitely an age where if you want to do some things, you better do them soon!"

Jill tentatively responded, "It sure sounds like YOU want to do something..."

Claire raised an eyebrow, visibly a little disappointed in Jill's words. "So, you don't?"

"Don't twist this the wrong way! If we happened to have a child, I would love them, of course. But it's not that simple. It's a huge decision to make, and risky for people with lives as especially dangerous as ours," Jill explained. She didn't want to disappoint Claire, but was fearful of everything that could go wrong. Pregnancy complications, birth complications, failure to parent well, unstoppable and inevitable world disaster... "It would be horrible to start something we love only for something bad to happen to it."

"I know, it could be scary. But we can't let fear hold us back from trying to make life better. And I think it would. Everything has been so sucky for so long; something like this could be the start of a new era! We'd have something new and positive to look forward to and live for every day."

"...I just wonder if that's selfish."

"You said it yourself; we would love our child. I don't think it's selfish to create life if we would love and protect it and give it the best it can have. You and I both know people have created things for much worse reasons."

While Claire seemed to have an argument for everything, Jill still wasn't so sure it was a good idea. "But we're always off doing separate things all the time. How would we make sure they're always taken care of when we both get busy?"

"Maybe that's exactly it. We've been so on-and-off over the past ten-plus years because we can't bother to work things out when we're far apart. We'd have a reason to actually stay connected all the time. It would be nice. I always miss you, Jill." Claire became a bit more somber, quietly continuing, "And if one of us dies, we'd still have a living piece of the other..."

Jill felt the blood drain from her face. That was the last thing she wanted either of them to think about. "Don't say that," she told Claire, trying not to panic and quickly hugging her like she couldn't let go. "You don't need to think about that. I'll do everything I can to keep us together."

Claire hugged Jill back, softly assuring her partner, "It's okay. There's nothing you need to worry about right now."

After Jill felt calm enough to release the embrace, she tried to take the focus back to something more light-hearted. "Okay, let me humor you for a minute here. Say we agreed to it. Who would even have the baby?"

Claire blinked slowly. "Oh, good question... I guess I forgot that this obviously needs more thought than a normal couple would ever have to consider."

"Well, my job is obviously not the best environment for a delicate fetus," Jill pointed out.

"Yeah," Claire agreed. "But even so... It would be so cute to see you pregnant!!"

"What? Cute?!" Those were words Jill hadn't expected to hear.

"Is it not a compliment to say you'd look great even when you're pregnant? Come onnnnn," Claire almost whined. "I just know it would suit you somehow. I want to see it."

"Basically, what I'm hearing is you want a baby but you don't want to do all the work for it."

"That's not it at all, and you know it," Claire responded sternly before a sudden idea seemed to hit her. "But hey, let's just do it at the same time, then, so we don't have to argue about it."

Jill quickly put a hand up to stop that thought, shaking her head. "There is no way that is the correct answer here. I think it's hard enough just to be pregnant without having to also take care of another pregnant person."

"Aw, you want to take care of me?"

"Maybe I want YOU to take care of ME," Jill countered. As mutual as their relationship was when it came to caring for one another, she often felt obligated to be the protector over Claire because she was older and had more experience. And doing that always felt emotionally rewarding, but letting Claire take complete care of her instead would be an interesting change of pace, Jill had to admit, even if she wasn't so sure about _either_ of them giving birth.

Claire was happy to interpret Jill's words exactly as she wanted them to be. "Either way, you're going to carry my baby, then?" she said with a sweet optimism. The idea of raising a child with Jill was growing on her even more with every minute they kept discussing it.

Jill sighed in frustration, though she knew Claire was partially just messing with her. "A doctor would probably suggest that you do it because you're younger," she pointed out. "It's safer that way."

"But I know you could handle it because you're the strongest woman on earth," Claire gushed.

"Okay, you really sound like you don't want to do it! Seems almost hypocritical," Jill challenged.

"No!" Claire quickly disagreed. "If you don't want to do it, that's fine. I will," she promised with a firm nod.

"Okay, but don't talk about it like we're one hundred percent agreed on this!"

"I just want my beautiful girlfriend to have a beautiful baby with me!!"

"But if you're the one who wants the baby in the first place, why don't you offer to be the one who does the work for it?"

"Like I said, you would be cute! With a big round belly and everything--"

"In that case, why do I have to be 'cute' for you? Why can't you be cute for me?"

Claire tilted her head, looking thoughtful. "Okay, what I'm hearing is we really should do it at the same time to make everything even. ...And then we get more than one kid!"

"That's seriously one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. I would rather do it myself than have us both do it."

"So, it's decided, then," Claire said matter-of-factly. "You're going to get me a baby."

Jill couldn't help but laugh at their roundabout argument, grabbing Claire by the shoulders and shaking her lightly. "No no no! You are ridiculous!"

Luckily, Claire had the humor to laugh back, holding Jill's face in her hands and squishing her cheeks. "I just love youuuu. I want us to share motherhood. I've been with you for almost half of my life, you know. Now I just want to experience everything I possibly can with you."

Jill calmly sighed, pulling Claire closer for a quick kiss. "And I want to make you happy if I can. But I can't just promise I'll carry a baby for you from a five-minute discussion!" Her tone of voice became a bit more mischievous as an idea came over her. "If you want to make such a big decision together, marry me first," she suggested. Claire widened her eyes in disbelief, completely unexpecting of such a sentence, but Jill shrugged as if it wasn't such a big deal. "It's legal everywhere now," she pointed out.

Despite the slight blush on her cheeks, Claire scoffed and shook her head. "Nice one, Jill Valentine. But if you're going to try that, I expect a REAL proposal."

"You really should expect it, because I would like to officially become a Redfield one day," Jill said matter-of-factly.

Claire seemed quite pleasantly shocked. "I don't know if you're just trying to get on my good side, but... It's working," she admitted. "I would give up everything to have a baby for someone named Mrs. Jill Redfield."

"Dramatic." Jill smiled, happy to have made Claire happy. "But one thing at a time. Nothing's changing this minute. Not even this week."

"The cruel temptress leaves me hanging," Claire sighed. "Good thing I'm patient."

"Since when are you patient?"

"Shut up, Jill!" Claire cackled, grabbing a pillow and hitting her with it. "You're the worst. Cut me some slack, why don't you?"

"Because it's funny when you're mad at me," Jill teased.

"Oh, I'll show you funny," Claire threatened with a cheesy waving of her fist. But before she could either bop Jill on the head or attack her with affection, Jill's cellphone started ringing in her pocket, and she quickly moved to answer it.

"Hey, Rebecca," she said, noting the caller ID and putting it on speaker. "What's up?"

"Hi, Jill. Just needed to talk for a minute. Are you busy?"

"Not really. Claire just wants to get me pregnant."

There was a moment of concerned silence. "...You guys know that's not possible, right? Not without the help of some medical intervention."

"That's the problem," Claire said, leaning in closer to join the conversation. "We have to choose which one of us will have the baby, and we can't decide."

"IF we do have a baby one day," Jill quickly clarified.

"Shouldn't it be Claire?" Rebecca questioned, seeming to think it was obvious.

"That's basically what I said," Jill agreed. "She's younger, and she's the one who came up with the idea in the first place--"

"Ohhhhhhh, yeah, that makes sense," Rebecca interrupted with realization in her voice. "I just thought Claire seemed more likely to be pregnant."

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean??" Claire demanded.

"I don't know!!" their friend said defensively. "Maybe it's just weirder to think of Jill having a kid because I know her better? Maybe because you seem more... feminine?"

Jill laughed as Claire rolled her eyes and began a short rant. "First of all, we're equally feminine. Second of all, screw gender roles, but either way I would definitely be the 'man' of this relationship, if you wanna play by those rules."

"Oh? How?" Jill asked, genuinely curious what her girlfriend was thinking about.

"For one example, we're equals, but you still like it when I lead and you follow. I can tell." Claire raised an eyebrow and smirked. "And because I totally to--"

"AHHHHHHHH-- Wait wait wait," Jill interrupted, worried about where that was going based on Claire's tone of voice. "Uh, reminder that I'm on the phone? Rebecca called for a reason, and it's not to hear whatever you have to say!" she nervously stuttered.

"I think our baby problem is probably more important than whatever she needed to mention," Claire joked, enjoying Jill's light suffering. "One of us is going to need to buy a lot of new shirts, and I need to know who. Can you give a more unbiased opinion, Rebecca?"

"I'm sure I can't be of much help. I'm a chemist, not a gynecologist. And I don't know anything about being in a gay relationship. Is that even the right word? I don't want to sound rude."

"You're cool, Bex. I wouldn't even mind if you called me a slur or something," Claire casually answered.

"Well, I will try to never ever do that regardless," Rebecca replied, sounding incredibly uncomfortable at the thought, though she did know that all it meant was that Claire considered her a very good friend, which was nice. "But I really can't say who would be better for it. I mean, whichever womb, that baby is definitely in for a bumpy ride, knowing you two," Rebecca noted. "But in all seriousness, I'm sure you'd probably make good parents."

"Thank you," Jill responded before turning to Claire. "And, again, IF we ever decide to have a child... Maybe we can just rock-paper-scissors for it."

"Seriously? Never expected that idea from you, but I can roll with it. It's a win-win either way, right?"

"I guess if you consider a kid a win," Rebecca quietly questioned, personally not very interested in having children. So she tried to get the conversation back on track. "I hate to interrupt and bother you, since this is clearly something that you're quite invested in. But Jill, I called because you have some files I need faxed if possible."

"And I can get right on it if this nuthead of mine stops begging for an infant for a few minutes," Jill offered, affectionately poking Claire on the nose. "What do you need sent?"

Claire shook her head in exaggerated disappointment from Jill's lighthearted insult before rising to go, allowing Jill any extra focus she needed. But she reminded her of one final thing as she left. "My ring size is six and a half. Diamonds, rubies, nothing -- I don't care. I know you have good taste. Just don't forget it, because now that you've mentioned it, it's all I will think about."

Jill could only silently laugh at Claire's demands as Rebecca kept talking on the other end of the line. Claire could be quite the handful when she set her mind to something. Luckily for her, Jill loved her more than anything else, and she would do almost anything to make her happy.

The thought of having kids was frightening, but Jill had to agree that starting a bigger step of life together sounded like a dream come true. Claire had constantly helped Jill stop holding herself back in the time they had known each other. Maybe this could be the start of completely preventing the unknown future from stopping her from living freely.

Surely eventually it would happen. Claire was right; Jill did tend to follow her lead, because she trusted and adored her. Maybe even enough to be pregnant with her child...


End file.
